David A Dyker was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1944. He was educated at the University of Glasgow and the Economics University of Tashkent in Uzbekistan. He has been studying the countries of Central-East Europe and Eurasia for over 30 years, and in his extensive published work he has charted the decay of socialism, the difficult beginnings of transition, and the broadening-out of the agenda facing second-stage transition at the start of the new century. His Process of Investment in the Soviet Union (CUP, 1983), Technology of Transition (CEUP, 1997) and Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Transfer in the Former Soviet Union (Edward Elgar, 1999) are classics in the field. In addition to teaching and scholarly research, Dyker has been deeply involved in the transition process as a practitioner, and has worked as a consultant for the Russian, Romanian and Kazakhstani governments, and also for the UN Economic Commission for Europe. David Dyker is an academician of the Academy of Social Sciences. He is married with three children.